Big Announcement

It has been pretty quiet around here and that’s because we’ve been keeping a secret! Bobby and I are so incredibly excited to announce that we are expecting a BABY this September!

That’s right! I’ve been so preoccupied with the news, sharing the news, and EXTREME fatigue that blogging had to go on the back burner. But now that I’m out of my first trimester, and gaining some energy, I’ve decided to do a pregnancy Q&A for you all!

How did you find out that you were pregnant?

Bobby and I spent a weekend in Charleston to help our friends move. When we got back to Raleigh, we stopped to pick up Mowgli from a friend’s house. Mowgli will typically jump up and greet us as we enter the home, but this time he didn’t jump on me. He jumped on Bobby, then looked at me, hesitated, and turned away. When you know your dog, you know when their behavior is odd. And this certainly was odd. It was the day before I was expecting my period, but at that moment I knew I was pregnant. When we got home I took a pregnancy strip test and saw a VERY faint 2nd line. At first, I didn’t believe it. So I decided to wait until the following day to take another test — thinking the line would be a little darker. The following morning, I took another test strip and the line was a little darker. So after work, I decided to take ANOTHER test but this time a “real” pregnancy test that would either say “Pregnant” or “Not Pregnant”. Sure enough, it said “Pregnant”!

How did you tell Bobby?

When Bobby and I started talking about having kids, I asked if he would want to be surprised or with me when I take a pregnancy test. He said he wanted to be with me…but since I had already taken three tests without him knowing, I had to surprise him. I was bursting with excitement and couldn’t contain myself, so as soon as Bobby got home from work I smiled really big. He looked at me and knew something was happening so he said, “What’s going on?” I told him there was something for him in our bathroom.

I followed him into the bedroom, and as soon as he noticed the “Pregnant” pregnancy test he yelled “YEAH!!!”

He turned around and hugged me, then we sat on the bed and let the news sink in. I told him about Mowgli’s reaction the previous day and the two other tests I had taken. He couldn’t believe I had known for nearly 24 hours without telling him!

How are you feeling?

Overall I’m feeling pretty great! I had a heightened sense of smell around week 6, with some queasiness between weeks 7 and 8. There was only one moment around week 9 when I smelled something that did not agree with me. We were at a restaurant and I smelled olives/onions/roasted peppers. I don’t know why it bothered me so much, but I haven’t been able to eat acidic veggies since then.

The fatigue has been no joke! It feels like I haven’t had a full night sleep in several weeks, on top of working out 5 days a week. I read in What to Expect When You’re Expecting that I’m pumping about 20% more blood than usual. So I AM getting a workout! No wonder why I’m so tired!

Baby brain is REAL! I’m not retaining very much these days. I don’t know if it’s the lack of energy or the hormones that have messed with my memory, but I can’t tell you how many times I have to ask repetitive questions. It has been one of the more difficult aspects of pregnancy for me, especially when it comes to work. I don’t want to burden anyone or forget to do something. I’ve been a master of lists and sticky notes over the past few weeks in hopes to help remember things.

When is the due date?

Baby Graves is due September 16th!

Will you find out the gender?

We are not planning to find out the gender. WHAT?! Are we crazy? No way!

Bobby and I decided very early on that we would not find out the gender. The #1 reason is because we feel that there are very few true surprises in life. We can’t wait to hear that first cry and for the doctor to say “It’s a ____!” And whether it’s a boy or girl, we’re just focused on a healthy baby and a healthy pregnancy. We can’t wait to meet Baby G!

Has Mowgli acted differently?

Yes! Ever since that day Mowgli wouldn’t jump on me, he has been super needy and protective. He follows me everywhere and has to lay with his head on my belly. I’ve heard that dogs react differently when a woman is pregnant, and now I can confirm that is 100% accurate for us.

I hope I answered some of the big questions! If there’s anything else you’d like to know, just ask in the comments below.

Thanks for your support and love during this journey! We are so excited to share it with you!